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Oscar red carpet clutches to swoon over

Can’t wait to tune in and watch all that red carpet glamour about to take over Hollywood this Sunday night?

If it’s not the designer dresses or bedazzled jewels the A-list ladies are modeling for the cameras, it’s their elegant clutches. Those mini must-have purses filled with personal items like gum, lipstick and who knows what else are just as thoughtfully chosen by the star’s stylists as the rest of their ensemble.

One new accessories brand just getting into the mix is Swoon Luxe, a Los Angeles-based luxury collection of handbags, clutches, wallets, backpacks and leather cuffs made from the finest exotic skins including crocodile, snakeskins, lizard and ostrich.

What makes this collection so unique is its “Confessions of a Shopaholic” similarity; the line was created and designed by financial analyst, Helena Reich.

As a young girl, Helena’s parents surrounded her with music and art. When she wasn’t practicing the piano and cello, she would escape into a fantasy world of fashion as she spent hours in her room sketching paper dolls and purses.

In college, Helena studied finance and pursued a career in financial valuation where she consulted with major corporations in mergers & acquisitions and other valuation driven transactions. However, her true love for fashion was always there waiting in the wings. She finally hooked up with executive design consultant Heehyun Park and created Swoon Luxe.

All of Swoon Luxe’s handbags and accessories are hand-crafted by artisans who have dedicated their entire life to the craft. Finding the most skillful artisans in every corner of the world is a painstakingly difficult process. The crocodile bags are made by artisans who only specialize in working with crocodile skins. The ostrich and python skin pieces are hand crafted by craftsmen who specialize in those skins.

In the world of “the wild”, the quality of skins is the foremost concern. The qualities and material costs between a Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus Niloticus) and a Caiman (Crocodilus Fuscus) differ significantly. Nile Crocodiles, along with Australian Saltwater Crocodiles (Porosus Crocodile), are considered the most luxurious and prestigious crocodile skins in the world. Swoon Luxe only purchases the highest rated Nile Crocodile skins that are farm-raised in our pursuit of conserving “the wild”. Their skins are supplied by prestigious leather tanneries located in Singapore, South Africa and Italy.

In fact, the crocodile skins used by Swoon Luxe are imported from a leather & tannery that also provides the skins to the most prestigious and exclusive fashion house in the world.